from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English

n. The divine favor toward man; the mercy of God, as distinguished from His justice; also, any benefits His mercy imparts; divine love or pardon; a state of acceptance with God; enjoyment of the divine favor.

n.

n. The prerogative of mercy execised by the executive, as pardon.

n. The same prerogative when exercised in the form of equitable relief through chancery.

n. Fortune; luck; -- used commonly with hard or sorry when it means misfortune.

n. Inherent excellence; any endowment or characteristic fitted to win favor or confer pleasure or benefit.

n. Graceful and beautiful females, sister goddesses, represented by ancient writers as the attendants sometimes of Apollo but oftener of Venus. They were commonly mentioned as three in number; namely, Aglaia, Euphrosyne, and Thalia, and were regarded as the inspirers of the qualities which give attractiveness to wisdom, love, and social intercourse.

n. The title of a duke, a duchess, or an archbishop, and formerly of the king of England.

n. Thanks.

n. A petition for grace; a blessing asked, or thanks rendered, before or after a meal.

n. Ornamental notes or short passages, either introduced by the performer, or indicated by the composer, in which case the notation signs are called grace notes, appeggiaturas, turns, etc.

n. An act, vote, or decree of the government of the institution; a degree or privilege conferred by such vote or decree.

n. A play designed to promote or display grace of motion. It consists in throwing a small hoop from one player to another, by means of two sticks in the hands of each. Called also grace hoop or hoops.

transitive v. To adorn; to decorate; to embellish and dignify.

transitive v. To dignify or raise by an act of favor; to honor.

transitive v. To supply with heavenly grace.

transitive v. To add grace notes, cadenzas, etc., to.

from The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

To adorn; decorate; embellish and dignify; lend or add grace to.

To confer grace or favor upon; afford pleasure or gratification to.

To dignify or gratify by an act of favor; favor or honor (with something).

To supply with heavenly grace.

In music, to add grace-notes, cadenzas, etc., to: as, to grace a melody.

n. That element or quality of form, manner, movement, carriage, deportment, language, etc., which renders it pleasing or agreeable; elegance or beauty of form, outline, manner, motion, or act; pleasing harmony or appropriateness; that quality in a thing or an act which charms or delights: as, to move with easy grace.

n. plural [capitalized] In classical mythology, the goddesses of the beauty, brightness, and joy in nature and humanity. The Graces are the Charites of the Greeks, variously described as daughters of Helios (the Sun) and Aigle (heavenly brightness), or of Zeus (Jupiter) and Eurynome (daughter of Ocean —the Aurora). They were also variously named, but their most familiar names are Aglaϊa(the brilliant), Euphrosyne(cheerfulness), and Thalia (the bloom of life). They had in their gift grace, loveliness, and favor, and were attendants in the train of Aphrodite.

n. Amenity of disposition or manner; sweetness or amiability; graciousness; politeness; courtesy; civility: as, to yield with good grace.

n. plural A kind of play or game designed to exhibit or develop easy gracefulness in motion. One player, by means of two sticks held one in each hand. throws a small hoop to another, who endeavors to catch it on two similar sticks, and then to throw it back in the same way.

n. In music, an embellishment, whether vocal or instrumental, not essential to the harmony or melody of a piece, such as an appoggiatura, a trill, a turn, etc. Such embellishments were much more common in music for the harpsichord and the viol than they are for modern instruments; their exact form and even the place of their introduction were often left in the eighteenth century to the taste of the performer.

n. Favor; good will; friendship; favorable disposition to another; favorable regard: as, to be in one′ s good graces; to reign by the grace of God.

n. An act of kindness or favor accorded to or bestowed on another; a good turn or service freely rendered.

n. A faculty, license, or dispensation bestowed by legal authority, the granting of which rests in discretion or favor, and is not to be asked as of right; a privilege; also, in English law, a general and free pardon by act of Parliament. Also called act of grace.

n. In Scrip, and theology: The free, unmerited love and favor of God: as, the doctrine of grace (that is, the doctrine that all things, including salvation, are received from God as a free gift, and not merited or earned by man).

n. The enjoyment of the favor of God.

n. Benefit, especially inward spiritual gifts, conferred by God through Christ Jesus; specifically, power or disposition to yield obedience to the divine laws, to practise the Christian virtues, and to bear trouble or affliction with patience and resignation: as, grace to perform a duty, or to bear up under an affliction.

n. Virtue; power; efficacy.

n. Share of favor allotted to one; lot; fortune; luck.

n. Mercy; pardon.

n. Indulgence; forbearance; allowance of time: as, three days′ grace for the payment of a note.

n. In English universities, an act, vote, or decree of the government of the institution: as, a grace was approved by the Senate at Cambridge for founding a Chinese professorship.

n. Thanks; thanksgiving.

n. A formula of words expressing thanks and craving a blessing on or with a meal or refreshment; a short prayer before or after meals, in which a blessing is asked or thanks are rendered: as, to say grace; grace before meat.

n. A title of honor formerly borne by the sovereigns of England, but now used only as a ceremonious title in speaking to or of a duke, a duchess, or an archbishop: as, his Grace the Duke of Wellington.

n. The period.beyond the fixed day for payment allowed by law or custom for paying a note or bill of exchange. In Great Britain and the united States, at common law, three days are allowed; but if the last day of grace falls on Sunday, or any day on which business is not legally carried on, the bill or note is payable on the day preceding. Modern statutes have made some changes in these rules, particularly as regards legal holidays immediately preceding or following Sunday. Bankers′ checks are payable on demand without days of grace, and the same rule applies to bills or notes payable on demand.

Examples

He could do the butchering of a hog with the best of grace, and had killed, first and last, so many, that I imagine he could tell the number of squeals, or wrigglings of the porcine tail it took to terminate the life of the animal, after he had given it the _coup de grace_.

_Faith_ I grant is a more radicall, vitall, and necessary grace; but yet not so wholly out of _grace_ with the times, as poore _Zeale_; which yet if by any meanes it might once againe be reduced into favour and practice, before Time sets, and bee no more; I doubt not but Christ would also yet once againe in this evening of the world, come and _Sup_ with us; A favour including all other in it.

Juno's royal academy, left the language of Billingsgate quite out of my education: hence I am perfectly _illiterate_ in the polite style of the street, and am not fit to converse with the porters and carmen of quality, who grace their diction with the beauties of calling names, and curse their neighbour with a _bonne grace_. "

Many asset that this inability to do good works is physical, and assign the withholding of all grace as its proximate cause; in doing so, they take the term grace in its widest meaning, i.e. every Divine co-operation both in natural and in supernatural good actions.